How many Cybook Gen3 models are there? - Page 3

EowynCarter · 12-02-2009, 05:46 AM

Quote:

which will be first, firmware from Bookeen or from OI ......

I might give OI a try, but not before i have a reflash version of bookeen's firmware as a failsafe.
I need to be sure I can come back to bookeen firmware if I don't like OI, or for warenty reasons. And bricking my opus, that would be bad !

Snuffi · 12-02-2009, 06:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Godzil

Or just simply, they didn't update this webpage?

I never see anything than this spec on their website, even when people get EB600 G3 or G3Gold

I am 100% sure I have seen a picture of the Cybook with a red sticker "512MB" on their homepage quite some time ago. I didn't check the specifications page back then, but I would assume that when they have the "512 MB" on their front page that they would have updated the specifications page as well.

Godzil · 12-02-2009, 08:10 AM

Yes that was the default homepage before the Opus

T_Frain_K · 12-02-2009, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EowynCarter

I might give OI a try, but not before i have a reflash version of bookeen's firmware as a failsafe.
I need to be sure I can come back to bookeen firmware if I don't like OI, or for warenty reasons. And bricking my opus, that would be bad !

If you have access to the Flash ROM of a device, you should be able to re-flash it with a backup image of itself from before the change to an alternate FW.

EowynCarter · 12-02-2009, 03:55 PM

What do you mean by "access" ?

T_Frain_K · 12-02-2009, 03:59 PM

The ability to read from / write to it. Obviously, you need that access to flash any firmware to the device.

pholy · 12-02-2009, 05:35 PM

The difficulty is that most boot loaders have commands to download new firmware into ram and then write it into nand or nor flash memory, but not commands to upload the content of flash memories to a serial port or SD card. - This helps prevent unauthorized duplication or reverse engineering...

And that's after you have found and soldered wires to the serial port so that you can enter boot loader commands

And trying to use the JTAG port is even worse.

pholy

T_Frain_K · 12-03-2009, 07:40 AM

My bad, I didn´t know that

The only device I ever loaded an alternate firmware on was my PSP, and there it did indeed function like that. Do you know wheter that is the case for Netronix devices?

pholy · 12-03-2009, 08:51 AM

The first problem is that Netronix makes the hardware, and presumably, supplies sample firmware. However, neither Bookeen nor Foxit use it; they both wrote their own software. Both use Das uBoot as their bootloader, but they apparently chose different configuration options. In fact even the hardware is different.

I haven't finished looking at the uBoot sources, but I'm pretty sure there is no command to copy out existing software. Why would you (the manufacturer) need it? You already know what you put there. You want an easy way to put new software on it.

Which is what we want, too. I have no interest in duplicating other people's work. It would be nice to have a way to put the old software back, but that's up to the manufacturer. Hanlin does it for BeBook and Astak, but nobody else does (ASFAIK). Maybe that's why Open Inkpot started with that one.

GeoffC · 12-03-2009, 08:52 AM

would it be possible, or even efficient, to have OI operate from SD card; thus retaining Bookeen firmware on the device....or shall I go away and have a shower ?

pholy · 12-03-2009, 09:01 AM

I'm not sure. My study is still not far advanced. It would probably not be efficient, but it might be a place to start.

Speaking of showers, I need to get ready to go to work (still).

wallcraft · 12-03-2009, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pholy

The first problem is that Netronix makes the hardware, and presumably, supplies sample firmware. However, neither Bookeen nor Foxit use it; they both wrote their own software.

The thread Skinning/Themes for the Cool-er ebook reader describes adding features to a standard firmware. Cool-er probably is using Netronix's standard bootloader, but I have seen similar approaches (tweaking firmware) for the PRS-505 and Kindle 2/DX so perhaps this can be made to work on the Cybook too. It could be combined with GeoffC's OI-on-SD suggestion, i.e. a small tweak to the existing firmware to allow optional booting into OpenInkPot (either on start up or via something like boot-OI-v3.exe).

T_Frain_K · 12-03-2009, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeoffC

would it be possible, or even efficient, to have OI operate from SD card; thus retaining Bookeen firmware on the device....or shall I go away and have a shower ?

Kind´a like rockbox for iPod... i like the idea. Would rid us of the risk to lose the original FW.

GeoffC · 12-03-2009, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by T_Frain_K

Kind´a like rockbox for iPod... i like the idea. Would rid us of the risk to lose the original FW.

me thought exactly ...

user_none · 12-03-2009, 07:01 PM

When I added Cybook support to calibre I started running into issues with the differences in models and the device BCD they reported. I asked Bookeen for help, specifically information about the various models, differences, and if they had a list of BCDs for them. That was almost a year ago and I never got a response. Actually 2 of the 3 emails I've sent them have never been responded to.

One thing that might be helpful is the update_kernel file can also be a shell script not just their binary file used to updating the device. I have not been able to run arbitrary commands by having the update_kernel file being a executable shell script though. So far I've found sleep and reboot work. I have not been able to get it to dump a directory listing into a file on the SD card.

Also, the source for the 2.0 firmware is up on Bookeen's website. It contains, from what I can tell, the base system, build instructions and build scripts. It does not include the proprietary reading application. It also does not provide instructions on how to get the kernel, filesystem, or boot loader built from the source onto the device.

Around a year ago there was an Open Inkpot build for the Cybook. I have a 400 MHz Cybook and it does not work on it I'm guessing that it was built for the 200 MHz model.

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12-02-2009, 08:10 AM	#33
Godzil a pthread?? where? where? Posts: 1,763 Karma: 30462 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Somewhere in EU Device: Newton MessagePad 2100, and only this	Yes that was the default homepage before the Opus

12-02-2009, 03:55 PM	#35
EowynCarter Wizard Posts: 4,337 Karma: 4000000 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Paris Device: Cybooks; Sony PRS-T1	What do you mean by "access" ?

12-02-2009, 03:59 PM	#36
T_Frain_K Booyah! Posts: 673 Karma: 1753 Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Austria Device: Cybook Gen3 // Samsung Galaxy S	The ability to read from / write to it. Obviously, you need that access to flash any firmware to the device.

12-02-2009, 05:35 PM	#37
pholy Booklegger Posts: 1,801 Karma: 7999816 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Device: BeBook(1 & 2010), PEZ, PRS-505, Kobo BT, PRS-T1, Playbook, Kobo Touch	The difficulty is that most boot loaders have commands to download new firmware into ram and then write it into nand or nor flash memory, but not commands to upload the content of flash memories to a serial port or SD card. - This helps prevent unauthorized duplication or reverse engineering... And that's after you have found and soldered wires to the serial port so that you can enter boot loader commands And trying to use the JTAG port is even worse. pholy

12-03-2009, 07:40 AM	#38
T_Frain_K Booyah! Posts: 673 Karma: 1753 Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Austria Device: Cybook Gen3 // Samsung Galaxy S	My bad, I didn´t know that The only device I ever loaded an alternate firmware on was my PSP, and there it did indeed function like that. Do you know wheter that is the case for Netronix devices?

12-03-2009, 08:51 AM	#39
pholy Booklegger Posts: 1,801 Karma: 7999816 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Device: BeBook(1 & 2010), PEZ, PRS-505, Kobo BT, PRS-T1, Playbook, Kobo Touch	The first problem is that Netronix makes the hardware, and presumably, supplies sample firmware. However, neither Bookeen nor Foxit use it; they both wrote their own software. Both use Das uBoot as their bootloader, but they apparently chose different configuration options. In fact even the hardware is different. I haven't finished looking at the uBoot sources, but I'm pretty sure there is no command to copy out existing software. Why would you (the manufacturer) need it? You already know what you put there. You want an easy way to put new software on it. Which is what we want, too. I have no interest in duplicating other people's work. It would be nice to have a way to put the old software back, but that's up to the manufacturer. Hanlin does it for BeBook and Astak, but nobody else does (ASFAIK). Maybe that's why Open Inkpot started with that one.

12-03-2009, 08:52 AM	#40
GeoffC Chocolate Grasshopper ... Posts: 27,599 Karma: 20821184 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Scotland Device: Muse HD , Cybook Gen3 , Pocketbook 302 (Black) , Nexus 10: wife has PW	would it be possible, or even efficient, to have OI operate from SD card; thus retaining Bookeen firmware on the device....or shall I go away and have a shower ?

12-03-2009, 09:01 AM	#41
pholy Booklegger Posts: 1,801 Karma: 7999816 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Device: BeBook(1 & 2010), PEZ, PRS-505, Kobo BT, PRS-T1, Playbook, Kobo Touch	I'm not sure. My study is still not far advanced. It would probably not be efficient, but it might be a place to start. Speaking of showers, I need to get ready to go to work (still).

12-03-2009, 07:01 PM	#45
user_none Sigil & calibre developer Posts: 2,487 Karma: 1063785 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Florida, USA Device: Nook STR	When I added Cybook support to calibre I started running into issues with the differences in models and the device BCD they reported. I asked Bookeen for help, specifically information about the various models, differences, and if they had a list of BCDs for them. That was almost a year ago and I never got a response. Actually 2 of the 3 emails I've sent them have never been responded to. One thing that might be helpful is the update_kernel file can also be a shell script not just their binary file used to updating the device. I have not been able to run arbitrary commands by having the update_kernel file being a executable shell script though. So far I've found sleep and reboot work. I have not been able to get it to dump a directory listing into a file on the SD card. Also, the source for the 2.0 firmware is up on Bookeen's website. It contains, from what I can tell, the base system, build instructions and build scripts. It does not include the proprietary reading application. It also does not provide instructions on how to get the kernel, filesystem, or boot loader built from the source onto the device. Around a year ago there was an Open Inkpot build for the Cybook. I have a 400 MHz Cybook and it does not work on it I'm guessing that it was built for the 200 MHz model.

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